The ruling towards the abortion capsule places “judge-buying” issues again into the limelight

A pivotal dispute over the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the abortion pill mifepristone has sparked new allegations of “judge shopping” by plaintiffs seeking a favorable audience for their litigation.

Much of the abortion pill litigation has taken place in Amarillo, Texas, which has a federal division with only one district judge, Matthew Kacsmaryk.

Appointed to the Federal Bank in 2019 by former President Donald Trump, this judge previously worked for the conservative Christian rights group First Liberty Institute and represented socially conservative views on LGBTQ rights and abortion.

By filing the lawsuit in Amarillo, the cadre of anti-abortion groups seeking to nullify the FDA’s more than two-decade approval of the drug virtually guaranteed that Kacsmaryk would hear their case. Critics have accused the plaintiffs of targeting Kacsmaryk as chair of the case because he was seen as more sympathetic to their arguments that the drug had major safety concerns.

“We can’t always predict that judges will act according to their biographies,” Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California, Davis, told CNBC.

But “if you’re the Alliance Defending Freedom” — the rights group representing some of the plaintiffs — “you’re going to want someone like this [Kacsmaryk] because your chances will be better,” she said.

The Amarillo court did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

The strategy of targeting one-judge sections harms perceptions of judicial fairness, critics say. They argue that plaintiffs are bypassing the usual process of randomly assigning cases — which is designed primarily to “avoid judge shopping,” according to a federal court.

Kacsmaryk on Friday suspended mifepristone approval, giving the Biden administration time to appeal. On the same day, another federal judge ordered the FDA not to restrict the pill’s availability in 17 states, essentially contradicting the Texas judge’s decision. The matter could go all the way to the US Supreme Court, which has a Conservative majority of 6-3.

A ruling on the legal status of the pill will have massive ramifications across the country, including in states that allow abortion following the court’s decision in Roe v. Repeal Wade last year remains legal. Medical abortion is the most common form of surgery in the United States

A lawyer for the ADF has rejected allegations of judge purchasing.

“We’re very confident that any judge who looks at FDA regulations and what the FDA actually did will rule for us,” Denise Harle, senior counsel for the ADF, told Fox News in February. “That’s what we’re looking for, just a fair trial, a fair opportunity to make our case in court.”

Harle also told Fox that the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a group of anti-abortion doctors represented by the ADF, is based in Amarillo.

But the Kacsmaryk courthouse has reportedly become a prime target for conservative legal affairs. The judge has repeatedly sided with the challenges of the Biden administration’s policies.

Other judges have made similar allegations. Trump was accused of shopping for judges in Florida for his nominated federal judge Aileen Cannon when he filed a sweeping lawsuit against his former political rival Hillary Clinton in Cannon’s Florida division in 2022.

That case was instead assigned to Judge Donald Middlebrooks, an appointee of ex-President Bill Clinton. Middlebrooks dismissed it.

But Cannon months later was randomly assigned to another Trump trial in which a judge was asked to appoint a “special master” to review government documents the FBI obtained in an August 2022 raid on the resort town of Mar-a- Lago had confiscated the ex-president. Cannon granted Trump’s request, surprising some legal experts at the time.

It is not new for litigants to seek to have their cases heard in the most favorable environment. The strategy is also nonpartisan: Ziegler noted that a challenge to then-President Trump’s controversial travel ban in Hawaii was filed in 2017.

This form of forum shopping is “always a kind of imperfect substitute” for those who are looking for a sympathetic judge, said Ziegler. She found that there are progressive judges in conservative states and vice versa.

However, by filing a complaint in a chamber with a single judge, it is easier for a plaintiff to target a specific judge.

Constitutional law expert Steve Vladeck wrote in February: “Of the 27 divisions of Texas’ four circuit courts, nine have a single judge; ten others have only two.”

In a separate case brought before Kacsmaryk this year, the Justice Department requested a transfer to another federal court, arguing that the decision to place the Amarillo court “undermine public confidence in the administration of justice” because the court “has no connection to this dispute.” Kacsmaryk refused this request.

Another DOJ letter in February singled out Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and accused the Republican official of filing 18 of his 28 lawsuits against the Biden administration in one-judge divisions. Paxton’s office has defended its decisions on where to file its cases, telling CNN last month that the Biden administration’s allegations risk “undermining public confidence in the legal system.”

Ziegler shared the view that even the appearance of judge purchases can erode trust in the courts.

“When the public knows that you can order an outcome by picking a judge, it becomes really difficult to convince the public that the courts are legitimate,” she said.

Inexperienced E-book actor Frank Vallelonga Jr.’s reason behind dying revealed

Green Book actor Frank Vallelonga Jr. found dead in New York

New details have emerged around him Frank Vallelonga‘s death.

Four months after the Green Book star was found dead in the early hours of Nov. 28, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his cause of death as “acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl and cocaine,” according to Page Six. Frank was 60 years old.

According to a statement to E! New York police report that Frank was found unconscious outside a tin factory in Hunts Point, Bronx, with no apparent signs of trauma. A 911 caller reported Frank’s body and EMS called but was unable to revive him and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

After the death of “The Birthday Cake” actor, the NYPD arrested the 35-year-old and charged him Stephen Smith with concealment of a human corpse.

Frank had a string of small roles in the mid-1990s with roles in A Brilliant Disguise and In the Kingdom of the Blind, the Man with One Eye Is King before starring in the 2018 Oscar-winning film Green Book, which was co-written and produced by his brother Nick Vallelonga.

Walmart is closing 4 underperforming Chicago shops

Customers shop at a Walmart store on May 19, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.

Scott Olson | Getty Images

Walmart announced on Tuesday that it will abruptly close four underperforming Chicago stores, citing millions in annual losses.

The company said its eight Chicago stores have not been profitable since they opened 17 years ago. According to a press release, that translates into “tens of millions of dollars a year” in losses, losses that have nearly doubled over the past five years.

The four stores will close on April 16, but their pharmacies will remain open for up to 30 days. The locations are in the Kenwood, Lakeview, Little Village and Chatham neighborhoods of Chicago.

“Over the years we have tried many different strategies to improve the business performance of these locations, including building smaller stores, localizing product range and offering services beyond traditional retail,” the company said in a press release . “As we looked for solutions, it became even more apparent that there was nothing the executives could do for these businesses to get us to the point where they would be profitable.”

Walmart said all employees at those four stores are eligible to move to other Walmart locations and will be paid through Aug. 11. The company will keep its other four Chicago stores open to give them the best chance of working in the future.

The store closures come after Walmart announced about a dozen closures last month, according to media reports. In March, Walmart also announced it would lay off hundreds of employees at e-commerce fulfillment centers across the country.

As of January 31, the Company operated more than 5,300 retail locations, including supercenters, discount stores, Sam’s Clubs and convenience stores.

Biden visits Northern Eire as political tensions linger

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on his economic priorities at a Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) training center in DeForest, Wisconsin, the United States, on February 8, 2023.

Jonathan Ernest | Reuters

US President Joe Biden arrives in Northern Ireland on Tuesday to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement – a landmark peace accord that effectively ended decades of sectarian conflict.

Biden is welcomed off the plane by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday night to begin a four-day visit to the island of Ireland. He is due to deliver a speech in Northern Ireland on Wednesday before traveling south of the border to the Republic of Ireland, where he will remain until Friday.

The President’s visit comes against a feverish political backdrop. The Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature set up under the Good Friday Agreement, has been suspended since February 2022 as union parties refuse to take their seats in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.

A key tenet of the post-Brexit Withdrawal Agreement signed between the United Kingdom and the European Union during the tenure of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the protocol effectively established a trade border in the Irish Sea between Britain and Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is part of the UK while the Republic of Ireland is a separate nation state that remains part of the EU. The Good Friday Agreement created a decentralized power-sharing administration in Northern Ireland, ending three decades of violence between largely Catholic Irish republicans wanting a united Ireland and predominantly Protestant pro-British trade unionists wanting to remain part of the UK

DERRY/LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND – 10 April 2023: Derry hosts annual parades by dissident republican groups marking the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, the armed uprising against British rule in Ireland which catalysed the creation of an independent state of Ireland.

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently signed the Windsor Framework, a renegotiated agreement designed to address issues with the protocol. But the prominent pro-Brexit Democratic Unionist Party rejected the proposals and has yet to return to the Stormont gathering.

Theresa Villiers, former British Foreign Secretary for Northern Ireland between 2012 and 2016, told CNBC on Tuesday that further changes to the Windsor Framework were needed.

“While it’s positive in many ways – particularly when it comes to transporting food and medicine between the UK and Northern Ireland, it really removes a lot of the friction – but it doesn’t address all the problems of the Northern Ireland Protocol so I feel I’m afraid it’s an unfinished business.” Villiers told CNBC’s Tania Bryer.

“Continuing negotiations with the EU to resolve these issues is the best way to bring unionists back into government and get the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement working again.”

restlessness

Unionist dissatisfaction with the Northern Ireland Protocol has sparked unrest in recent years, but political unrest continues to erupt on both sides of the traditional divide.

Annual parades held over the weekend by dissident Irish Republican groups in the border town of Derry – long a flashpoint for sectarian violence – also resulted in police cars being bombed with petrol.

The parades were held to mark the anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising – the armed rebellion against British rule in Ireland that paved the way for Irish independence.

DERRY/LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND, UK – April 10, 2023: Dissident Republican youth set up a roadblock following an illegal dissident march in the Creggan area of ​​Derry.

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Sections of the dissident Republican movement remain opposed to the Good Friday Agreement and its compromises to this day, although many of the current rioters were born after the agreement was signed.

Villiers noted that the riots over the weekend appeared to be “pre-planned” and aimed at “appears” and “attention”, while the vast majority of Northern Ireland’s population is committed to a peaceful and democratic future.

Fringe dissident groups have increasingly attracted disaffected young people to militant causes in recent years – a development of concern to politicians and public institutions.

The flare-up underscores the simmering generational resentments that can still be ignited in Northern Ireland, particularly during the April-July period when both nationalist and unionist communities hold politically charged demonstrations.

The political impasse was centered in Brussels, not Washington

The Good Friday Agreement was signed by British Prime Minister Tony Blair and then Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern on 10 April 1998 after 71% of Northern voters and 94% of Republic voters approved the proposals, the compromises resulting from years of arduous negotiations .

The accord ended three decades of sectarian violence known as the Troubles, which claimed more than 3,000 lives. It brought together nationalist and unionist parties in Stormont, near Belfast, to share power through devolved government.

DERRY/LONDONDERRY, NORTHERN IRELAND – April 10, 2023: A police vehicle is attacked with petrol bombs during an illegal dissident march in the Creggan area.

Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

Former US President Bill Clinton is credited with playing a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process, with the Good Friday Agreement cited as one of his government’s greatest foreign policy achievements. Clinton was the first sitting US President to visit Northern Ireland and the first to appoint a US special envoy to the region. Since then, both George W. Bush and Barack Obama have visited the city, while Clinton was bestowed the city of Belfast’s freedom in 2018.

The Biden administration has long sought to highlight both the president’s Irish roots and the historical ties between the island and large swathes of the American population. However, the influence of Irish-American culture has often prompted skepticism from unionists in Belfast, who view Washington as vulnerable to nationalist influence.

Although Biden is expected to use the trip to encourage a return to a functioning government in Stormont, his previous support for the Northern Ireland Protocol has drawn criticism from DUP politicians.

BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND – APRIL 10, 2018: Former Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President Bill Clinton at an event marking the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images

“Of course, I think Bill Clinton was a really positive influence on the peace process that led to the Good Friday Agreement, but ultimately President Biden’s presence isn’t going to change the fundamentals that we talked about. Unfortunately, these deadlocks on the decentralized institutions relate more to Brussels than to Washington,” Villiers said on Tuesday.

Sunak hopes the President’s visit will help promote the Windsor Framework, an achievement the ruling Conservative Party plans to tout in next year’s UK general election. The Prime Minister will also hold an investment conference in Belfast in September.

“One of the benefits of President Biden’s visit is to highlight what an amazing place Northern Ireland is not just to live in but to do business and invest in and there has been a tremendous track record of many big US companies with big Offices in Northern Ireland. I hope that will only get stronger in the future,” said Villiers.

Texas mifepristone order threatens entry

Assistant Attorney for First Liberty Institute Matthew Kacsmaryk answers questions during his nomination hearing by the US Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington, DC, December 13, 2017, in a still from video.

Reuters

Attorneys general of nearly half of U.S. states warn in a new court filing that a federal judge’s decision to suspend the 23-year-old Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone across the country “poses devastating risks to millions of people.” including those in states where abortion remains legal.

Attorneys general, in their filing filed Monday, asked the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to keep mifepristone on the market while a legal battle over the legality of the abortion pill unfolded.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the US District Court in Amarillo, Texas, effectively revoked the FDA approval of mifepristone on Friday.

But he put his decision on hold for a week to give the Biden administration time to appeal.

Kacsmaryk’s decision will go into effect at 12:00 a.m. CT Saturday if the 5th Circuit does not stop it.

In their filing Monday, the Attorneys General for 23 states and the District of Columbia condemned Kacsmaryk’s ruling as “legally flawed” and warned it would undermine the FDA’s approval process.

Attorneys general argued that Kacsmaryk’s order violated “states’ sovereign decisions” to protect access to abortion following last summer’s Supreme Court decision, Roe v federal constitutional rights to abortion.

Mifepristone, used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, is the most common method of terminating a pregnancy in the United States, accounting for about half of all abortions.

The Attorneys General cited this fact in their brief.

“Since medical abortion is the most common method used to terminate a pregnancy in the first trimester, limiting access to this method will result in more abortions occurring later in pregnancy, further increasing costs and medical risks,” wrote the Attorney General.

The Justice Department on Monday asked the 5th Circuit to rule on its request to halt Kacsmaryk’s decision by Thursday noon “to allow the government to seek redress from the Supreme Court if necessary.”

Danco Laboratories, the distributor of mifepristone, has also asked the Court of Appeals to stay Kacsmaryk’s decision for at least 14 days to allow the company to “seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court.”

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage:

There is significant uncertainty as to how Kacsmaryk’s decision will affect the legality of mifepristone unless his decision is blocked by the 5th Circuit Court or the Supreme Court.

Just 20 minutes after Kacsymaryk issued his ruling Friday, another federal judge, Thomas Rice of the Eastern District of Washington, barred the FDA from “the status quo and rights regarding the availability of mifepristone” in the District of Columbia and 17 to change states that had sued to keep the drug on the market in their jurisdictions.

The Justice Department has asked Rice to clarify how the FDA should respond to its decision if Kacsmaryk’s decision goes into effect, noting that Washington State’s decision appears to have “significant tension” with Kacsmaryk’s decision.

The DOJ requested Rice to respond to that request by Friday.

Kacsmaryk’s decision does not affect the availability of misoprostol, which the World Health Organization recommends as a standalone abortion drug.

States like California are stockpiling misoprostol in case Kacsmaryk’s decision goes into effect.

In addition to the District of Columbia, the states that submitted Monday’s brief to the 5th Circuit are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey and New Mexico , New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Nonprofits Should Consider When Creating an Investment Account

Nonprofit organizations have an important role to play in the social and economic wellbeing of the world. For-profit institutions have common functions and can use any surplus capital to pay out dividends to stockholders or re-invest into growth efforts for the company.

Nonprofits differ in the fact that their bottom line cannot be as straightforward as for-profit businesses due to the concept of restricted funds. Restricted funds represent funds that have been committed for a certain use or have a time restriction in place for use.

If your nonprofit is lucky enough to be in a position that leaves you with surplus capital beyond your typical reserves, you may be in a position to establish an investment account for the organization. Typically, surplus capital is realized when the nonprofit has expenses and expenditures for the next 12 to 24 months of operation.

The difficult task in setting up an investment account for a nonprofit is simply acquiring the surplus funds to do so. Once you have eliminated that hurdle, the next steps include finding a firm and an investment policy to adhere to.

You will want to find an advisory firm that will act in a fiduciary capacity to help grow assets for the future of the nonprofit. The most common way to go about finding the right investment firm would be to distribute a Request for Proposal, or RFP. 

Generally, there are a few important factors to consider when soliciting an RFP.

Investment Firm’s History

The history of a firm can tell you a lot about the type of business they handle and how successful they have been. Ideally, you will want to find a firm with a history of working with nonprofit organizations. Oftentimes nonprofits will have different goals for their investment portfolio than an individual or a for-profit business. Finding a firm with a history of working with nonprofit organizations can help ensure they understand and align with your goals.

The client base of the firm in question also gives insight into the type of work they do. Ask the firm for a description of their client base that includes the number of nonprofits they currently work with, the length of their service, and the range of asset values of their nonprofit clients.

You will also want to request client references from a few of their nonprofit clients. With this you can reach out to other organizations and inquire into the professionalism or responsiveness of the firm in question.

Ask the firm if they have registered with the SEC or state securities regulator. You will need to identify their disclosures and licenses to ensure they are credentialed to provide the services you seek.

Investment Process

Now that you have some background on the firm you will want to identify their processes for investment selection. Gain an overview of their strategies by inquiring into their investment philosophy and process for analyzing your portfolio structure. Also important to note is their process for recommending modifications and how active their management is for the portfolio.

Another key factor to consider is the working behind the scenes. Inquire into the number of analysts the firm has on staff, if any. Analysts help the firm research strategies and investments as well as evaluating the performance of a portfolio.

Along with the concept of research and development is their process for making projections and future outlooks. Inquire into their capital market and economic outlook processes and determine how that information will be used in your nonprofit’s investment strategy.

Overall, you want a firm that will assist your organization’s finance committee in meeting their responsibilities. The firm should review and provide recommendations on the investment policies enacted by the organizations investment or finance committee to meet fiduciary responsibilities.

Service Structure

Hiring an investment firm is an asset for many nonprofits. Advisors can be a haven for financial advice that can help determine both long term and short term strategies to promote growth within an organization. For this reason, you will want to be aware of and develop a relationship with the primary point of contact or contacts.

You will also want to learn about any other additional support professionals the firm can offer you. Furthermore, the firm you search for should be registered as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Without this registration, the firm will not have the ability to provide certain fiduciary services.

Reporting

An investment portfolio is only useful if the nonprofit leaders have an understanding of its outlook, performance, and key areas of concern or growth. This will come down to the reporting of the firm in question.

You will want to know the firm’s process for preparing and providing performance measurement reports. Inquiry into whether the software the firm uses is their own or provided by an outside third party.

Firms establish certain benchmarks of performance or development as well as a strategy for comparing similar portfolios and their success. Understanding the processes the firm uses for these metrics is important as well. Request sample copy of portfolio reports that would typically be relayed to the nonprofit to gain a better grasp on what the relationship would look like if it was explored.

.

Fees and Costs

The idea of hidden fees should not exist when you are looking to onboard an investment firm for your nonprofit. The firm should be open and willing to describe their fee structure and services. Typically, this should include a breakdown of all fees and all various forms of compensation paid between the nonprofit and all the firms utilized.

Fees could include but are not limited to transaction fees, license fees, management fees, distribution fees, or any other expenses charged by various funds, investment managers, or investment firms.

Another key fee to note is a minimum fee. Some firms require a minimum fee for a partnership while others do not. Furthermore, certain fees may apply that are not directly related to management services. Inquire into any fees as a result of services related to preparing policies, asset allocation analysis, or conducting manager searches.

Again, when your nonprofit is looking for a relationship with an investment firm there should be no such thing as hidden fees.

Finding the Perfect Match

There are a plethora of factors to consider when looking for an investment firm for your nonprofit, and for good reason. For a nonprofit to be in a position to have an investment account they must have thrived in the past to realize a surplus of capital.

For many nonprofits, the goals of the organization are geared towards helping others, making it crucial to partner with a firm that will hold your values close while actively looking for ways to expand your portfolio.

The undertaking of financial planning for a non-profit organization is often an incredibly complex and daunting one to take on yourself. Having financial knowledge alone is not going to be enough, as access to professional services and guidance is invaluable. This is exactly what Fragasso Financial Advisors offers – a Pittsburgh-based wealth management firm, they will help you in the process of creating your RFP, as well as advise you every step of the way. To kickstart the process, check out their blog post entitled “Five Questions a Non-Profit Should Ask When Soliciting a Request for Proposal” for some great advice. Their team of nonprofit investment professionals are ready to help with every aspect along the way.

Investment advice offered by investment advisor representatives through Fragasso Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor.

DOJ asks judges to make clear court docket rulings

In this 2018 photo, mifepristone and misoprostol pills are provided at a Carafem medical abortion clinic in Skokie, Illinois.

Erin Hooley | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

The Biden administration on Monday asked a federal judge to clarify how to respond to his order to keep the abortion pill mifepristone on the market in more than a dozen states in the event another judge contradictingly rules the Food and Drug’s approval Administration suspending medications will take effect later this week.

US District Judge Thomas Rice of the US Eastern District of Washington on Friday barred the FDA from “changing the status quo and rights regarding the availability of mifepristone” in the 17 states and the District of Columbia that had sued to order to keep the drug in the local market.

Rice’s decision came just 20 minutes after US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the US Northern District of Texas suspended the FDA’s statewide approval of mifepristone. The Justice Department on Monday asked the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to prevent the effectiveness of Kacsmaryk’s decision while the lawsuit unfolds. Government lawyers said they could ask the Supreme Court to intervene.

The Justice Department asked Rice to clarify his obligations regarding the legality of mifepristone by Friday. Kacsmaryk’s decision will go into effect at midnight CT Saturday if the 5th Circuit does not block the Texas order.

CNBC Health & Science

Read CNBC’s latest global health coverage:

“If the Texas District Court order goes into effect, the order would — on its own merit and without further action by the FDA — nullify the effectiveness of the FDA’s prior approvals for mifepristone nationwide,” Justice Department attorneys told Rice in one court record.

“The outcome of this order appears to be in material conflict with the order of this court prohibiting the FDA from altering the status quo and rights regarding the availability of mifepristone in plaintiffs’ states,” DOJ attorneys said.

Rice’s decision applies to Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Washington State and DC

In a statement Friday, the Democratic Attorney General, who filed the suit in Washington state, said Rice’s decision “will secure access to mifepristone for millions of Americans.” But they also said “there are still unknown elements and implications” of Washington State and Texas’ dueling decisions.

Democratic lawmakers like Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said Kacsmaryk’s ruling had no legal basis and urged the FDA to simply ignore it.

Asked by CNN on Sunday whether he would order the FDA to ignore the judge’s order, US Health Secretary Xavier Becerra said, “Everything is on the table.”

The shooter within the Louisville Financial institution taking pictures was an worker

UPDATE: Gunman identified as employee in Louisville bank shooting

The shooter in the mass shooting at the Louisville bank Monday morning has been confirmed to be a 23-year-old employee. Connor Sturgeon reportedly opened fire at the Old National Bank at around 8:30 am on April 10.

Interim Police Chief of the Lousiville Metro JAcquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel has confirmed that four people died along with the shooter. The number of injured rose to nine, with three people reportedly in critical condition, three in non-critical condition and three already discharged. Two of the nine were emergency workers.

Sturgeon died while exchanging gunfire with responding officers.

These are the stories the suspect, 23-year-old Connor Sturgeon, released just before he opened fire at the Old National Bank this morning. LMPD says he also streamed live during filming. @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/38pOdgBv4R

— Christie Battista WDRB (@CBattistaTV) April 10, 2023

Police identified the victims as Joshua Barrick; Julian Bauer; Tommy Elliott; And James Tutall between 40 and 64 years old.

What you should know about the Louisville bank shooting

VIDEO: Five dead, including suspects, and at least eight injured in Louisville Bank incident

Washington Commanders settles NFL ticket deposit abuse claims

A detailed view of the new Washington Commanders uniforms following the announcement of the Washington Football Team’s name change to Washington Commanders at FedExField on February 2, 2022 in Landover, Maryland.

Rob Carr | Getty Images

The NFL’s Washington Commanders will pay $625,000 to settle allegations by the Washington, DC Attorney General that the organization failed to return fans’ ticket deposits, the AG’s office announced Monday.

Former DC Attorney General Karl Racine sued the Commanders in November, alleging that the team cheated local residents out of their deposits collected from season ticket holders and used the money for its own ends. The lawsuit also alleged that the team “deliberately complicated the returns process by imposing additional, onerous conditions that were not previously adequately disclosed.”

Racine claimed the Commanders had been selling premium seat tickets to DC fans since 1996, sometimes requiring a deposit. While the team promised ticketholders they would get their deposits back within 30 days of the expiration of the contracts, Racine claimed the team pocketed and spent the money at times for over a decade.

A spokesman for Commanders said in a statement the team has not collected bail for more than a decade and has been “actively working to return all remaining bail since 2014.”

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the DC Attorney General on this matter and will be working with the office to fulfill our obligations to our fans,” the spokesperson said.

The team denied any wrongdoing in settling the claims.

Under the settlement agreement, the Commanders will pay more than $200,000 to affected fans, as well as $425,000 to the district for “reimbursement, attorneys’ fees, costs related to the investigation and contributions to the district’s litigation assistance fund,” a release said from the office of Brian Schwalb, the current AG.

The agreement requires commanders to conduct a public search for affected fans and attempt to notify them through various means, including phone calls and emails. The team must also make the refund process prominently visible on its website and provide “regular reports” to the attorney general’s office documenting its attempts to return the money.

In a statement related to the settlement agreement, Schwalb said his office will “closely monitor the commanders” to ensure fans are properly reimbursed the full refund they are entitled to.

“Our office takes seriously the obligation to enforce DC’s consumer protection laws by holding accountable anyone who attempts to exploit the district’s consumers,” he added.

Commanders have been hit with several allegations of misconduct from the team’s front office in recent years. In 2022, a House Oversight and Reform Committee report said the NFL and Commanders had misled the public about an investigation into the team’s long-standing workplace misconduct.

Jim Jordan involves New York to intervene in Trump’s prison case

The real purpose of the Jim Jordan House Judiciary Committee hearing in New York is to meddle in Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump.

Here is the announcement of the hearing:

pic.twitter.com/0ac75MLdO6

— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) April 10, 2023

It’s obvious that the purpose of this hearing is for Jim Jordon and his third-rate Republican circus to come to New York City to soil the jury. The goal is to reinforce the claim that Trump cannot get a fair trial in Manhattan, so the case must be moved to a Republican area like Long Island.

House Republicans have no jurisdiction over Alvin Bragg or what happens in the Manhattan Attorney’s office. The hearing is a blatant attempt to interfere in Trump’s criminal proceedings.

Since Jordan’s hearing has no legislative purpose, Republicans are not hiding the fact that they are coming to town to attack Alvin Bragg.

If the New York hearing is like any of the other hearings Jordan has chaired, it will be a ridiculous spectacle that will make a huge bang and be quickly forgotten.

Interfering with a criminal investigation into a corrupt ex-president is apparently what Republicans mean when they talk about law and order.

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House press pool and congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public policy with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association